Poll: What Should I Read Next?

By Shawn Speakman on November 2, 2012

I fall in and out of reading.

There are times when all I want to do is write. I forego reading for weeks at a time sometimes, putting all of my energies into whatever book or short story I am working on. It’s not healthy to do so. I know that. Sitting at a computer desk pounding away at the keyboard without a relaxing reprieve is honestly detrimental to mental and physical health. Plus, reading is as important to the writer as writing is. But sometimes I don’t always get what I want. Sometimes, the muse is a bitch with an altogether too eager whip.

That said, I also go on reading binges. Those are inevitable as well. I will devour a book in a day, with many books read during a week.

I am entering into one of those reading binge times.

It’s odd. I can just sense it.

So, here are five books that I have in my To Be Read pile:

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett

The Sorceror Stone by J.K. Rowling

Dark Currents by Jacqueline Carey

All of them are fantastic. I know this because people have told me. As I’ve said before on Suvudu, I tend to not read series until they are finished. It won’t surprise you—or maybe it will—that I haven’t read the Wheel of Time series. I’ve been waiting for Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson to publish A Memory of Light. I also haven’t read the Harry Potter novels—I read the first book a decade ago but did not continue. I read The Painted Man years ago at the behest of Terry Brooks but with the third book in the series coming out, I should probably re-read it and finally read The Desert Spear to prepare for February’s The Daylight War.

I also don’t want Patrick Rothfuss to find out I’ve never read The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. If the great bearded one found out, he’d probably disown our friendship immediately. That, or send me 10 copies of the book just to make a point.

And Jacqueline Carey’s new urban fantasy, Dark Currents, has been beckoning to be opened almost every night. She’s a helluva a writer with a wonderful imagination. I know it’s good without a word from anyone.

So what should I do? I ask you, the readers, to decide for me! Convince me!

One Response to “Poll: What Should I Read Next?”

If I could only read one more book and it couldn’t be a Terry Brook’s novel, it would be The Warded Man. The Desert Spear was good and I look forward to The Daylight Wars, but he hit it out of the park with The Warded Man. It is a must read for anyone with a leaning toward fantasy.

BTW – the Potter books are good, not great, but entertaining (kind of like the movies). You should take the time to read them, each book adds a ton to what they put on the screen.